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Tank:A14 T30
T30_001 image:T30_002.jpg T30_002 image:T30_003.jpg T30_003 image:T30_004.jpg T30_004 image:Ingame_T30-1.jpg T30, map Port |History= By the middle of 1944, combat reports from Europe describing the use of heavy tanks by the Germans stimulated new interest in the development of an equivalent American vehicle. The Pershing medium tank provided an answer to the early model of the German Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger. However, although the latter was still in first line service, it had first been encountered by U. S. Army during 1943. By 1944, the Germans were introducing even more heavily armed and armored vehicles (Pz.Kpfw. Tiger II). Although for morale purposes the M26 Pershing was temporarily redesignated as a heavy tank, it clearly did not provide an answer to the problem. On 14 September 1944, U. S. forces recommended development and manufacture of four prototypes for a new heavy tank. Two of these were designated as the heavy tank T29 and were to be armed with the 105mm gun T5E1. The remaining two were designated as the heavy tank T30 and were to be armed with the 155mm gun T7. History Two T30 heavy tanks entered the test program at Aberdeen shortly after the T29. The first arrived at the Proving Ground in April 1948, followed by the second in July. Originally intended to have the same power train as the T29, the military characteristics of the T30 were changed in late 1945 to substitute the air-cooled Continental V-12 engine for the liquid- cooled Ford GAC. The new engine, designated as the AV-1790-3, developed 810 gross horsepower at 2800 rpm and was an early model of what became the standard power plant for American tanks during the next decade. The main objective of the T30 test program at Aberdeen was to evaluate the new engine with the CD-850 cross-drive transmission. Technical info thumb|200px|left|T30 Technical drawings The T30 hull was essentially the same as that of the T29, except for the changes to the engine compartment necessary to accommodate the air-cooled engine. The turret was also similar to that on the T29, but was armed with the T7 155mm gun. Only one coaxial .50 caliber machine gun was located to the left of the cannon in the T124 combination gun mount. The T7 cannon had a relatively low muzzle velocity of 2300 feet per second, but the 95 pound high explosive shell had a powerful demolition effect. Separated ammunition was used as with the 105mm gun in the T29. The cased-propelling charge weighed about 40 pounds: bringing the complete 155mm round weight to approximately 135 pounds. Thirty-four complete rounds were carried, and a spring rammer was provided for use with the heavy separated ammunition. Even prior to the tests, it had been expected that there would be considerable difficulty in handling the heavy ammunition inside the tank turret. On 24 July 1947, the U.S Army authorized the diversion of one T30 for the installation of experimental automatic ramming equipment, an automatic cartridge case ejecting mechanism, and a drive mechanism for indexing the mount for loading and returning the weapon to its previous position. The latter was required because the lack of space inside the turret, combined with the size and weight of the ammunition, permitted the loading of the gun only within a very limited range of elevation. This heavy tank was designated as the T30E1, the weapon and mount as the 155mm gun T7H1, and the combination gun-mount the T124E1.thumb|200px|right|T30E1 prototype The sequence of operations when the cannon fired in the T30E1 was as follows; 1. The gun fired, recoiled, and returned to the battery position. 2. The gun automatically elevated or depressed to line up with the rammer tray. 3. The rammer-tray was extended. 4. A port in the rear of the turret bustle opened to allow the ejection of the empty case from the turret. 5. The gun breech opened and ejected the empty case. 6. A new projectile and cartridge case were lifted onto the rammer-tray. 7. The projectile and case were rammed and the breech closed. 8. The rammer-tray was withdrawn. 9. The gun automatically elevated or depressed to its original firing position parallel with the gunner's sight. To aid in handling the heavy ammunition, a power lifting device was installed in the T30 and T30E1 during the testing program. From the outside, the only obvious identification point on the T30E1 was the ejection port in the lower rear wall of the turret bustle. T-series prototypes The T29, T30, T32, and T34 series of tanks were used to evaluate numerous experimental components after World War II. Although too late for the war for which they were designed, they provided invaluable service in developing these components for later tanks. Much of the work which made the early AV-1790 engine and the CD-850 transmission a reliable power package utilized these tanks. Later, they were used in the development of other power train components such as the XT-1400 transmission, which was tested in the T30. American Heavy tank comparision Mk.VII M6 T28 T29 T30 T32 T34 M103A2 Crew 8 6 4 6 6 5 6 5 Lenght 10,43m 8,43m 11,12m 11,56m 10,9m 10,83m 11,77m 11,23m Width 3,66m 3,12m 4,54m 3,8m 3,8m 3,76m 3,8m 3,63m Height 3,12m 3,00m 2,86m 3,22m 3,22m 2,81m 3,22m 3,56m Weight 39,5t 57,4t 86,3t 64,25t 64,74t 54,5t 65,2t 58,1t Engine power Liberty 338hp G-200 960hp GAF 500hp GAC 770hp AV1790 810hp GAC 770hp AV1790 810hp AV1790 750hp Max. speed 8,8km/h 35km/h 12,8km/h 35km/h 35km/h 35km/h 35km/h 37km/h hull armour (angle) 12mm (28) 83mm (30) 305mm 102mm (54) 102mm (54) 127mm (54) 102mm (54) 127mm (60) side armour 12mm 70mm 152mm 76mm 76mm 76mm 76mm 51mm Turret armour (mantlet) 16mm 83mm (102mm) - 178mm (279mm) 178mm (279mm) 298mm (298mm) 178mm (279mm) 127mm (254mm) top armour 6-10mm 25mm 38mm 38mm 38mm 38mm 38mm 38mm bottom armour 6-8mm 25mm 25mm 25mm 25mm 25mm 25mm 38mm Gun 2x57mm Hotchkiss 75mm M7 37mm MB 105mm T5E1 105mm T5E2 155mm T7 90mm T15E2 120mm T53 120mm M58 Secondary armament 5x7,62mm Hotchkiss 2x12,7mm HB M2 2x7,62mm M1919A4 12,7mm HB M2 3x12,7mm HB M2 7.62mm M1919M4 2x12,7mm HB M2 7.62mm M1919M4 12,7mm HB M2 2x7.62mm M1919M4 3x12,7mm HB M2 7.62mm M1919M4 3x12,7mm HB M2 7.62mm M37 |HistoricalGallery= image:T30_Heavy_Tank.JPG T30 Prototype image:T30_Heavy_Tank_(2).jpg T30 Prototype image:T30_color.jpg T30 on Tank Row at Aberdeen Proving Grounds |HistAcc= The T30 is officially classed as Heavy Tank, not Tank Destroyer. |Ref_references= |Ref_sources= * R.P. Hunnicutt - Firepower: A History of the American Heavy Tank, 1988 Presidio Press, ISBN 0-89141-304-9. |Ref_links= * http://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=353 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T30_Heavy_Tank |Sidebar_Camostop=9.2 |Sidebar_Camomove=5.71 |Sidebar_Camofire=2.09 |Sidebar_Passhard=1.342 |Sidebar_Passmed=1.534 |Sidebar_Passsoft=3.068 |Sidebar_DispTurret=0.23 |Sidebar_DispRecoil=3.836 |Sidebar_DispAccel=0.23 |Sidebar_DispTurning=0.23 }} Category:USA Tanks